Saturday, March 22, 2014

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest!
Today, we've got a few sitcom development stories, news about Carol Burnett DVDs in April that is sure to please fans, and more. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

TV Land has given a pilot order to Teachers, a project from Allison Brie (of Community). It is based upon a web series of the same name that follows six dysfunctional elementary school teachers. (Entertainment Weekly)

John Krasinski is looking to go from paper salesman at Dunder-Mifflin to executive producer with a sitcom that he has in the development phase with TBS. The project, currently titled Jackass of All Trades, "centers on a devoted stay-at-home dad who, after landing his family in dire financial trouble, resorts to earning a living doing odd jobs off of Craigslist." (Deadline)

One of cable TV's biggest series, The Walking Dead, is about to head to broadcast TV primetime... at least in reruns on MyNetworkTV. (Deadline)

A sitcom in development at ABC could potentially put both the Fonz and Angela Bower on one stage... and if it happens, they'll both be Winklers, as the series would tentatively be called The Winklers. (Deadline)

Two and a Half Men was renewed for next season, but it looks even less likely that we'll see much of Angus T. Jones, as the original "half man" on the series, as he refers to his experience of being on the series as being a "paid hypocrite." (KHOU)

The Sweathogs are about to return to TV next month, as MeTV adds Welcome Back, Kotter to their lineup. (SitcomsOnline)

L.A. Law - The Complete First Season: Shout! Factory's release of the United States debut of the classic legal drama on DVD, containing all of the first season episodes and plenty of nice special features.

Here's Lucy - The Complete Series
(DVD, $159.98): Classic TV's favorite redhead gets another big box-set release of one of her series, and this time it is her last successful sitcom to air on CBS. It is a nice set that is loaded with special features.

Claim to Fame: Almost literally, everything since TV was invented. But specifically, the actress got her start in radio before she first tried TV in 1939 (that isn't a typo) on an experimental TV station in Los Angeles. By 1949, she was cohosting (and later hosting by herself) a Los Angeles variety show that aired five and a half hours a day, six days a week. A string of other things followed, but she mostly ended up doing game shows for a while, at least until the '70s when she was cast as Sue Ann Nivens on The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Her greatest success, though, came in 1985, as Rose Nylund on The Golden Girls. Now, in 2014, she can still be seen on TV in TV Land's Hot in Cleveland, and is perhaps the only actor/actress in the world who can claim that she has appeared on TV at least once in each decade for nine decades... and we're looking forward to 2020, when it'll make ten decades.

Pick of the Tweets:"On way to Vegas to be inducted into NAB Hall of Fame. Have to lay low- what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas!" (April 16, 2012)

The Big Bang Theory - "The Allowance Evaporation" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT)
(Repeat)
Sheldon and Amy have their first fight since moving in together, and Koothrappali is shocked at the realities of financial independence when he stops receiving support from his father.

Kevin Can Wait - "Kenny Can Wait" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Kevin strikes up an unlikely friendship with Harry Connick Jr., but gets caught in a web of lies trying to impress his new friend. Harry Connick Jr. guest stars as himself.

Great News - "Snowmageddon of the Century" (NBC, 9:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
After organizing a poorly attended staff karaoke night, Carol (Andrea Martin) is convinced that everyone at "The Breakdown" needs some office bonding time. When Greg (Adam Campbell) refuses to help, Carol enlists the help of God, causing a huge snowstorm to trap everyone in the building overnight. Chuck (John Michael Higgins) takes an interest in working with Katie (Briga Heelan), which Portia (Nicole Richie) convinces Katie is romantic.

The Guest Book - "Story Four" (TBS, 10:30PM ET/PT)
Christy heads up to the mountains to try and bond with her new boyfriend Paul and his 8-year-old daughter, but she self-medicates because of her anxiety and ends up revealing some skeletons in her closet.